LCT Reorganizes
Fall Semester 2007 LCT is undertaking some reorganization to enable existing resources to better serve evolving University needs. These actions are timely and have been in planning for several years, and are now triggered by some key LCT leadership retirements.
Joan Predko, director of the Instructional Media Center (IMC) and Virtual University Design and Technology (vuDAT), retires mid-November 2007; Fred Honhart, director of University Archives and Historical Collections (UAHC) retires the end of December 2007; and Rochele Cotter, who has directed the Client Advocacy Office (CAO) and served as a key University data resource administrator, retires the end of January 2008. Together these individuals represent 105 years of diverse and valuable service to Michigan State University. I hope you will find an opportunity to thank and congratulate Joan, Fred, and Rochele for their many contributions.
IMC Changes
Effective November 16, 2007, nearly all of the Instructional Media Center functions and staff will report through Deborah Powell (currently associate director of IMC) to Tom Davis, director of Academic Computing and Network Services (ACNS). On December 1, 2007, these same functions and staff will formally become a team within ACNS initially called “Media Services”. This reorganization will facilitate continual improvement and better integration of instructional technology support services, using the strengths of both of these units to improve overall service levels.
To minimize service disruptions, the IMC staff involved in classroom and other forms of instructional technology support will continue to perform their same roles through this transition period. Faculty and staff in need of traditional IMC services may continue to use the same websites, e-mail contacts, phone numbers, and business procedures as they have in the past.
One exception to the affiliation of IMC and ACNS will be the IMC Audio-Visual/Digital Media Services group, which will be moved into Broadcasting Services (BCS). AV/DMS, augmenting and complimenting existing BCS services, will continue to provide event recording services.
VuDAT Changes
Virtual University Design and Technology will continue its current operations, and Brendan Guenther (currently assistant director) will be appointed acting director of vuDAT effective November 16, 2007.
UAHC Changes
A national search is currently in progress for a new director of University Archives and Historical Collections. UAHC is charged by the Board of Trustees to serve as the memory of the institution through the preservation of and access to University records. The new director of UAHC will be looked on to enable UAHC resources to guide MSU in the design and functioning of the University’s enterprise business information systems and processes, including development of effective facilities and processes for stewardship of electronic records and digital artifacts. The director will also be responsible for the management of the Historical Collections, unique archival research materials that encompass a wide variety of topics.
CAO Changes
Staff in the CAO have for many years supported management of University data consistency (data models, data definitions, data exchange standards, etc.). This work, which we are calling Enterprise Information Stewardship (EIS), is becoming more vital as MSU moves toward a business information systems environment that is modular, integrates systems using “middleware,” and is designed to provide decision support through common business intelligence analytical tools. We are in the process of changing the unit name from CAO to EIS, and a national search will be conducted for EIS leadership.
Updates will be made available regarding these and related changes as they progress.